Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Marine Who Threw Himself on a Grenade

Dec 30 , 2025

Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Marine Who Threw Himself on a Grenade

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. saw the flash before the thunderclap tore through the jungle. A grenade, thrown with intent to kill, landed dead center among his squad. Time fractured. He didn’t hesitate.

He threw himself on that grenade. Shattered ribs, shrapnel ripping flesh, but his body took the blast. His sacrifice saved four men that day in Vietnam. Jenkins died months later from wounds sustained in that moment of pure courage. But they remember him still—because some debts of honor can never be repaid with words alone.

The Son and Soldier

Born in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 1948, Robert H. Jenkins Jr. grew up in a neighborhood where every man had to carve his own code from hard streets and harder lessons. His faith wasn’t the type spoken in soft halls but lived in relentless grit and loyalty.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” stands as a silent liturgy behind every combat vet’s grit (John 15:13). For Jenkins, it was forever gospel—the kind that moves beyond doctrine and seeps into marrow. Quiet, reserved, but fiercely protective.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967, joining the ranks of the silent warriors who carried faith in one hand and rifle in the other. The Corps imbued him with strict discipline, brotherhood, and a will forged in iron against fear.

The Battle That Defined Him

January 5, 1969, near the village of An Hoa, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. Jenkins’ unit, Company H, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, was on a routine patrol that exploded into hellfire.

Enemy forces opened heavy fire from a concealed position. Marines scattered, some wounded and pinned down. Jenkins moved forward to evacuate his comrades. It was then an enemy grenade came skittering toward his position.

Without a word, he shielded four of his fellow Marines with his body. The grenade detonated. Jenkins sustained life-threatening injuries, including shattered ribs and shrapnel wounds. Despite agony, he maintained consciousness long enough to aid in the defense and evacuation of his fellow Marines.

He was evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa but succumbed to his wounds on April 13, 1969.

Recognition for Unyielding Valor

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—Jenkins was recognized for his decisive self-sacrifice.

His Medal of Honor citation states:

“During an enemy attack on his unit’s position, Private First Class Jenkins fearlessly threw himself on an enemy grenade to save the lives of nearby comrades. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps.”

Sergeant James Carpenter, who served alongside Jenkins, recalled:

“Bobby didn’t ask questions when it was time to act. He was the kind of man you could swear your life on.”

His citation is archived in the U.S. Marine Corps’ official historical records and stands as a solemn testament to the cost of courage and the sacredness of sacrifice[1][2].

Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Robert Jenkins’ story is one tattooed into Marine Corps history—not because he sought glory, but because he lived an unvarnished truth written in raw sacrifice.

Sacrifice is not the desperate act of the weak. It is the epitome of strength—the choice to protect others at the cost of self. His legacy steels the spine of every service member who hears his name.

The ministry of a life like Jenkins’ resonates beyond medals. It challenges those who watch from the sidelines, civilian and vet alike, to reckon with what honor demands. To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Jenkins paid a price there in the jungle clearing—for all of us.

His body rests in Arlington National Cemetery, a simple stone marking a story too profound for words. But in every Marine’s heartbeat, his valor lives—etched by fire, sealed in blood.

The war continues for veterans, long after battlefields fall silent. Jenkins teaches us that true heroism is not found in medals but in the enduring courage to lay down your life for your brothers, knowing well you might never return.

Remember him not only as a fallen soldier but as a towering testament: the fiercest love is the love that covers others with their own flesh and blood.

Sources

[1] U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Citations: Robert H. Jenkins Jr. [2] Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, 2003, p. 156 [3] Arlington National Cemetery Records, Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Burial Data